Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

Alaska House Bill HB147 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HB0147a -1- HB 147
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5	5	34-LS0136\G
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11	11	HOUSE BILL NO. 147
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13	13	IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
14	14
15	15	THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
16	16
17	17	BY REPRESENTATIVE PRAX
18	18
19	19	Introduced: 3/21/25
20	20	Referred: Health and Social Services, Labor and Commerce, Finance
21	21
22	22
23	23	A BILL
24	24
25	25	FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
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27	27	"An Act relating to the practice of naturopathy." 1
28	28	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
29	29	* Section 1. AS 08.45 is amended by adding new sections to read: 3
30	30	Sec. 08.45.033. Issuance of temporary endorsement. (a) The department 4
31	31	shall issue a temporary endorsement to a naturopath licensed under this chapter if the 5
32	32	licensee pays the application fee and furnishes evidence satisfactory to the department 6
33	33	that the licensee 7
34	34	(1) passed the elective pharmacology examination portion of the 8
35	35	Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination or another equivalent examination 9
36	36	approved by the department; and 10
37	37	(2) meets other applicable requirements established by the department 11
38	38	in regulation. 12
39	39	(b) A naturopath who holds a valid temporary endorsement issued under (a) of 13
40	40	this section and is supervised as required under (c) of this section may prescribe and 14
41	41	administer prescription drugs for preventive and therapeutic purposes, except as 15 34-LS0136\G
42	42	HB 147 -2- HB0147a
43	43	New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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45	45	provided in AS 08.45.050. 1
46	46	(c) A supervising physician shall review the prescription and administration of 2
47	47	drugs performed under (b) of this section by a naturopath holding a temporary 3
48	48	endorsement. The supervising physician shall evaluate and provide feedback to the 4
49	49	naturopath on the naturopath's ability to prescribe and administer drugs under (b) of 5
50	50	this section safely and in compliance with the law. 6
51	51	(d) A physician who holds a valid license under AS 08.64 may supervise a 7
52	52	naturopath under (c) of this section if the physician 8
53	53	(1) has been prescribing and administering prescription drugs for five 9
54	54	or more years; and 10
55	55	(2) documents the arrangement between the physician and the 11
56	56	naturopath on a form established by the department in regulation. 12
57	57	(e) Unless additional supervision is required by the department, after a 13
58	58	naturopath has been supervised under (c) of this section for one year, the supervising 14
59	59	physician shall submit a report to the department recommending that the department 15
60	60	issue an endorsement to the naturopath, require the naturopath to receive further 16
61	61	supervision, or deny the naturopath an endorsement. A temporary endorsement 17
62	62	terminates on the date the naturopath is issued or denied an endorsement under 18
63	63	AS 08.45.034. 19
64	64	Sec. 08.45.034. Issuance of endorsement. (a) Upon receiving a 20
65	65	recommendation that a naturopath be issued or denied an endorsement under 21
66	66	AS 08.45.033(e), the department shall issue or deny an endorsement to a naturopath 22
67	67	licensed under this chapter. Upon receiving a recommendation that a naturopath 23
68	68	requires further supervision under AS 08.45.033(e), the department may issue or deny 24
69	69	an endorsement to a naturopath licensed under this chapter or require the naturopath to 25
70	70	receive further supervision. 26
71	71	(b) A naturopath licensed under this chapter who holds a valid endorsement 27
72	72	issued under this section may prescribe and administer prescription drugs for 28
73	73	preventive and therapeutic purposes, except as provided in AS 08.45.050. 29
74	74	* Sec. 2. AS 08.45 is amended by adding new sections to read: 30
75	75	Sec. 08.45.037. Continuing education requirements.
76	76	(a) The department 31 34-LS0136\G
77	77	HB0147a -3- HB 147
78	78	New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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80	80	shall promote a high degree of competence in the practice of naturopathy in the state 1
81	81	by requiring every naturopath licensed under this chapter to fulfill continuing 2
82	82	education requirements. 3
83	83	(b) Before a license may be renewed, a naturopath licensed under this chapter 4
84	84	shall submit evidence to the department that continuing education requirements 5
85	85	prescribed by regulations adopted by the department have been met. Continuing 6
86	86	education requirements must be completed during the 24-month period immediately 7
87	87	preceding the application for renewal and include 60 hours of continuing education 8
88	88	approved by the department, at least 20 hours of which must be on the subject of 9
89	89	pharmacotherapy. 10
90	90	(c) The department may exempt a naturopath licensed under this chapter from 11
91	91	the requirements of (b) of this section upon an application by the naturopath giving 12
92	92	evidence satisfactory to the department that the naturopath is unable to comply with 13
93	93	the requirements because of extenuating circumstances. However, the department may 14
94	94	not exempt a naturopath from more than 15 hours of continuing education in a four-15
95	95	year period. 16
96	96	Sec. 08.45.038. Standards for license renewal. The department shall renew a 17
97	97	license issued under this chapter to a licensee who 18
98	98	(1) applies on a form provided by the department and pays the required 19
99	99	fee; 20
100	100	(2) meets the continuing education requirements established under 21
101	101	AS 08.45.037; 22
102	102	(3) has not been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, a crime 23
103	103	that adversely reflects on the licensee's ability or competency to practice as a 24
104	104	naturopath or that jeopardizes the safety or well-being of a patient; and 25
105	105	(4) has a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification. 26
106	106	* Sec. 3. AS 08.45.050 is amended to read: 27
107	107	Sec. 08.45.050. Restrictions on practice of naturopathy. A person who 28
108	108	practices naturopathy may not 29
109	109	(1) give, prescribe, or recommend in the practice 30
110	110	(A) a prescription drug, except as authorized by an 31 34-LS0136\G
111	111	HB 147 -4- HB0147a
112	112	New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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114	114	endorsement issued under AS 08.45.033 or 08.45.034; 1
115	115	(B) a controlled substance; 2
116	116	(C) a poison; 3
117	117	(D) a cancer chemotherapeutic drug; or 4
118	118	(E) an antipsychotic drug; 5
119	119	(2) engage in surgery; 6
120	120	(3) use the word "physician" in the person's title; 7
121	121	(4) administer therapeutic ionizing radiation or radioactive 8
122	122	substances. 9
123	123	* Sec. 4. AS 08.45.060 is amended to read: 10
124	124	Sec. 08.45.060. Grounds for disciplinary sanctions [SUSPENSION, 11
125	125	REVOCATION, OR REFUSAL TO ISSUE A LICENSE]. The department may, 12
126	126	after a hearing, impose a disciplinary sanction on a person licensed under this chapter 13
127	127	when the department finds that the licensee 14
128	128	(1) secured a license or endorsement through deceit, fraud, or 15
129	129	intentional misrepresentation; 16
130	130	(2) engaged in deceit, fraud, or intentional misrepresentation in the 17
131	131	course of providing professional services or engaging in professional activities; 18
132	132	(3) advertised professional services in a false or misleading manner; 19
133	133	(4) has been convicted of a felony or other crime that affects the 20
134	134	licensee's ability to continue to practice competently and safely; 21
135	135	(5) failed to comply with this chapter, with a regulation adopted under 22
136	136	this chapter, or with an order of the department; 23
137	137	(6) continued to practice after becoming unfit due to 24
138	138	(A) professional incompetence; 25
139	139	(B) addiction or severe dependency on alcohol or a drug that 26
140	140	impairs the licensee's ability to practice safely; 27
141	141	(C) physical or mental disability; 28
142	142	(7) engaged in lewd or immoral conduct in connection with the 29
143	143	delivery of professional service to patients. 30
144	144	* Sec. 5. AS 08.45.070(a) is amended to read: 31 34-LS0136\G
145	145	HB0147a -5- HB 147
146	146	New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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148	148	(a) When the department [IT] finds that a licensee under this chapter has 1
149	149	violated AS 08.45.040 - 08.45.050 or is guilty of an offense under AS 08.45.060, the 2
150	150	department may impose the following sanctions singly or in combination: 3
151	151	(1) permanently revoke the license to practice or endorsement held 4
152	152	by the licensee; 5
153	153	(2) suspend the license to practice or endorsement held by the 6
154	154	licensee for a determinate period of time; 7
155	155	(3) censure the licensee; 8
156	156	(4) issue a letter of reprimand to the licensee; 9
157	157	(5) place the licensee on probationary status and require the licensee to 10
158	158	(A) report regularly to the department on [UPON] matters 11
159	159	involving the basis of probation; 12
160	160	(B) limit practice to those areas prescribed; 13
161	161	(C) continue professional education until a satisfactory degree 14
162	162	of skill has been attained in areas determined by the department to need 15
163	163	improvement; 16
164	164	(6) impose limitations or conditions on the practice of the licensee. 17
165	165	* Sec. 6. AS 08.45.070(c) is amended to read: 18
166	166	(c) The department may summarily suspend a license or endorsement before 19
167	167	final hearing or during the appeals process if the department finds that the licensee 20
168	168	poses a clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety if the licensee 21
169	169	continues to practice. A licensee whose license or endorsement is suspended under 22
170	170	this section is entitled to a hearing conducted by the office of administrative hearings 23
171	171	(AS 44.64.010) not later than seven days after the effective date of the order. The 24
172	172	licensee may appeal the suspension after a hearing to a court of competent jurisdiction. 25
173	173	* Sec. 7. AS 08.45.080 is amended to read: 26
174	174	Sec. 08.45.080. Unlicensed or unendorsed practice a misdemeanor. Except 27
175	175	for a person licensed or authorized under another chapter of this title who 28
176	176	engages in practices for which that person is licensed or authorized under that 29
177	177	chapter, a [A] person who practices naturopathy in the state without a valid license or 30
178	178	who prescribes or administers drugs without a valid endorsement under 31 34-LS0136\G
179	179	HB 147 -6- HB0147a
180	180	New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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182	182	AS 08.45.033 or 08.45.034 [IN VIOLATION OF AS 08.45.010] is guilty of a class A 1
183	183	misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, or 2
184	184	by imprisonment for not more than a year, or by both. 3
185	185	* Sec. 8. AS 08.45.090 is amended to read: 4
186	186	Sec. 08.45.090. Fraudulent license or endorsement. A person who obtains or 5
187	187	attempts to obtain a naturopathic license or endorsement by dishonest or fraudulent 6
188	188	means or who forges, counterfeits, or fraudulently alters a naturopathic license or 7
189	189	endorsement is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment for 8
190	190	not more than six months, or by both. 9